diff --git a/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_community_messages.py b/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_community_messages.py
index 0a34e003ad..36eb6134a1 100644
--- a/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_community_messages.py
+++ b/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_community_messages.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from clients.signals import SignalType
 
 
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_nodes")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_privileged_nodes")
 @pytest.mark.reliability
 class TestCommunityMessages(MessengerTestCase):
 
diff --git a/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_create_private_groups.py b/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_create_private_groups.py
index 9db0946441..2e896f1190 100644
--- a/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_create_private_groups.py
+++ b/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_create_private_groups.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from clients.signals import SignalType
 
 
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_nodes")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_privileged_nodes")
 @pytest.mark.reliability
 class TestCreatePrivateGroups(MessengerTestCase):
 
diff --git a/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_one_to_one_messages.py b/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_one_to_one_messages.py
index f897ec5f2d..0f3f1d5fe1 100644
--- a/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_one_to_one_messages.py
+++ b/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_one_to_one_messages.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from clients.signals import SignalType
 
 
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_nodes")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_privileged_nodes")
 @pytest.mark.reliability
 class TestOneToOneMessages(MessengerTestCase):
 
diff --git a/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_private_groups_messages.py b/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_private_groups_messages.py
index bd141c77ef..4bbbb16784 100644
--- a/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_private_groups_messages.py
+++ b/tests-functional/tests/reliability/test_private_groups_messages.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 from clients.signals import SignalType
 
 
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_nodes")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_privileged_nodes")
 @pytest.mark.reliability
 class TestPrivateGroupMessages(MessengerTestCase):
 
diff --git a/tests-functional/tests/test_cases.py b/tests-functional/tests/test_cases.py
index 3fac2b2ecc..972ba8101c 100644
--- a/tests-functional/tests/test_cases.py
+++ b/tests-functional/tests/test_cases.py
@@ -210,10 +210,15 @@ class MessengerTestCase(NetworkConditionTestCase):
     ]
 
     @pytest.fixture(scope="function", autouse=False)
-    def setup_two_nodes(self, request):
+    def setup_two_privileged_nodes(self, request):
         request.cls.sender = self.sender = self.initialize_backend(self.await_signals, True)
         request.cls.receiver = self.receiver = self.initialize_backend(self.await_signals, True)
 
+    @pytest.fixture(scope="function", autouse=False)
+    def setup_two_unprivileged_nodes(self, request):
+        request.cls.sender = self.sender = self.initialize_backend(self.await_signals, False)
+        request.cls.receiver = self.receiver = self.initialize_backend(self.await_signals, False)
+
     def initialize_backend(self, await_signals, privileged=True):
         backend = StatusBackend(await_signals, privileged)
         backend.init_status_backend()
diff --git a/tests-functional/tests/test_waku_rpc.py b/tests-functional/tests/test_waku_rpc.py
index 6fae44a34d..3a6d9857dc 100644
--- a/tests-functional/tests/test_waku_rpc.py
+++ b/tests-functional/tests/test_waku_rpc.py
@@ -23,14 +23,9 @@ def test_(self, method, params):
 
 
 @pytest.mark.rpc
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_nodes")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_unprivileged_nodes")
 class TestDefaultMessaging(MessengerTestCase):
 
-    @pytest.fixture(scope="function", autouse=False)
-    def setup_two_nodes(self, request):
-        request.cls.sender = self.sender = self.initialize_backend(self.await_signals, False)
-        request.cls.receiver = self.receiver = self.initialize_backend(self.await_signals, False)
-
     def test_one_to_one_messages(self):
         self.one_to_one_message(5)
 
@@ -49,11 +44,11 @@ def test_private_group_messages(self):
 
 @pytest.mark.rpc
 @pytest.mark.skip
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_nodes")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_privileged_nodes")
 class TestLightClientMessaging(TestDefaultMessaging):
 
     @pytest.fixture(scope="function", autouse=False)
-    def setup_two_nodes(self, request):
+    def setup_two_unprivileged_nodes(self, request):
         request.cls.sender = self.sender = self.initialize_backend(self.await_signals, False)
         request.cls.receiver = self.receiver = self.initialize_backend(self.await_signals, False)
         for user in self.sender, self.receiver:
diff --git a/tests-functional/tests/test_wakuext_message_reactions.py b/tests-functional/tests/test_wakuext_message_reactions.py
index 7ec991e4d1..88ca289aa5 100644
--- a/tests-functional/tests/test_wakuext_message_reactions.py
+++ b/tests-functional/tests/test_wakuext_message_reactions.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 from tests.test_cases import MessengerTestCase
 
 
-@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_nodes")
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures("setup_two_unprivileged_nodes")
 @pytest.mark.rpc
 class TestMessageReactions(MessengerTestCase):
     def test_one_to_one_message_reactions(self):